Archives

Standing In The Middle of Turmoil: Caught Between Police Brutality, Racial Profiling and Black-on-Black Crime.

I think the police brutalize African-Americans more than any other race because they think we are all dumb. They think we don’t know what is going on in the world, so they think if they put us all in jail the world would be a better place. The same would happen if they kill us all. Black on black crime is not a good thing beacuse while we’re killing each other, so are the cops. I think if were going to make it, we need to stick together and stop killing each other. People beefing with the next hood over. People can’t come out the house without getting shot. So this is how the world is today’s society? -Travyon Hilliard

Post navigation

We as a people have been stuck in a spot where it doesn’t matter who we are or what we’ve done, any opinion about ourselves is brutally beaten into the ground; whether it’s because of us vs police or us vs ourselves. Today, I heard a story involving a man named Diallo. He was being antagonized by police so he reached in his wallet and they shot him 41 TIMES!! It upsets me that a person of color is discriminated against before they even have the chance to simply prove who they are. Not only did it not make sense to shoot him but it especially didn’t make sense for them to shoot him 41 times. It doesn’t even take 41 shots to kill a man and its not like whatever he did was worth the price of killing him. Also, there was story about 2 young African-American males shooting a mother and her 2 children. I think it is straight up ignorant to do this for no reason. Not only was there not many people trying to help the situation but they, in many ways, helped the problem. The worst part about it is that all those bystanders who watched and did nothing had the same skin tones as the shooters. It’s nothing less than a shame. -James Banks

Well I don’t know why we like to think that killing our own color is cool when to be real, it’s not because what do you get out of killing your own kind? Today, I watched a police officer beat a black guy up who did not a thing wrong. First they pulled him over and busted his window but the entire time he had his hands up. The officer was saying “stop trying to get my gun” but the black guy had his hands up while it was happening. The officer tried to hide the video but they eventually found it. Also, the black guy who was bout to go to jail for doing absolutely nothing wrong was finally released. When I hear that a black person killed another black person my first thought is like why would you do something like that? You would kill this man for what, fame? But honestly, what is street fame worth? Considering the way they kill folks now, there’s no way to stop this from happening because either way they going to find some way to kill someone.-Darnell Jordan

What I think about police brutality is that police think they can do anything they want because they got a badge or because they got a gun on they side. I think that is what gives them the right to go after people who are innocent. I also think police are only targeting African-American males. I say that because if you look at all the history of police brutality, with Ronnie King, the African immigrant who was shot 41 times, etc. Its seems like it’s the badge and the gun that makes people think they have the right to arrest and abuse anyone they want. Now on black on black crime, I don’t understand how you can kill your own kind and be ok with it. I don’t get why we constantly fighting and killing each other but we wonder why people are constantly labeling us with stereotypes and statistics. This violence amongst fellow kin really make it hard for good, black people to be accepted in this society. -Antoine Morris

Sometimes, I don’t like the way people talk about and act towards black people. It’s like, before we could even do anything, they try to say we’ve done something wrong but they know we didn’t. Then, if we do something nice, now they want to thinking differently. No, its too late for that, stay with your first mindset. Like if you go to a restaurant, they immediately begin staring at you. What’s the big deal? What are you staring at? I came here to do the same thing you’re doing. Then when you try to point it out, they get all offended, saying you’re the racist one. But how is that the case when you staring at me like I did something wrong. This is such an angering problem in our society. -Darnell Jordan

Racial profiling still exists today. So much that I can’t even watch a movie without being discriminated against. From the time I sat down until the time I left they were making piss poor judgments
about what they thought I would act like. So when I held doors and was so jovial and nice to everyone I met they were almost taken aback by it. The question is why though. My skin color is the biggest difference. I bet if I was Caucasian I would’ve been treated a lot better.- Arron Black

Today we watched a couple videos that all had a lot to do with: black on black crime, power, and racism. We started out with a black man named Marcus Jeter. He got into an argument with his girlfriend that he stays with so he left their home. The cops later pulled him over and instantly pointed a gun at him. He had his doors locked because he was scared. The cops repeatedly told him to stop reaching for his gun but, from what I saw, he never tried to go for a gun. It’s tragic to know that if that video didn’t surface, he would be doing 25 to life. I feel that cops these days can get away with anything and I feel like they’re willing to put away an innocent person who, more often that not, turns out to be African-American. Then, if the truth ever comes out, which is rare, they are released and expected to go home like nothing happened. And yeah its usually white cops that do this type of stuff but our own race likes to do these types of things now as well. -Jireh Jackson

Well I don’t know why we like to think that killing our own kind is cool, to be real, it’s not. Why? Well, because what do you get out of killing your own kind? Today, I watched a police officer beat an african american man who did nothing wrong. I watched as they pulled him over and shattered his window. Keep in mind, the entire time this is obviously innocent man who had his hands up. The officer was screaming “stop trying to get my gun” and the african american man had his hands up. The officer planned on hiding the video, but they miraculously got clear footage of it. This African American man was about to go to jail, his rights and freedoms were about to be taken, but he was released. I heared, yet again, that a black person has killed another black person. My first thought is “why would you do something thing like that? You would kill your own brother in spirit for what? Fame? Just stop and think about what is street fame worth. The way we kill our own people now, there seems to be no way to stop our self destructive habits.
-Darnell Jordan

The Distinguished Gentlemen of Spoken Word @ Cleveland UMADAOP hosts this blog, with the generous support from the City of Cleveland's Television Minority Arts and Education Fund, a supporting organization of the Cleveland Foundation.